Safeguards were needed in residential childcare centres to prevent the "serious problems" of the past, the chairman of the Eastern Health Board said yesterday.
Speaking after the launch of the EHB's new plan for the provision of residential childcare, Mr Ivor Callely TD praised those working in the sector, but said: "There has never been a more difficult and challenging time to work in residential childcare."
The board's chief executive officer, Mr Pat McLoughlin, added: "The importance of residential care in our continuum of services for children is illustrated by the fact that we are spending £17 million a year on this aspect of our services."
Some 400 children receive care in 54 residential centres in the EHB area - more than double the combined figure for the other seven health boards. Of these, 28 are run by volunteers.
The new strategy has addressed the need for standardisation of policies and procedures in all centres, said the director of childcare and family support services with the board, Mr Paul Harrison.
"The sector generally has been quite autonomous," he said. "What we are trying to do is create a patchwork of services across the region." This will include a new standardised complaints procedure for the region.
Each centre has procedures in place, but Mr Harrison said "a standardised method will leave nothing to chance".
The strategy also aims to include the views of children. The appointment of a children's rights officer would be considered, he said. By strengthening the links between child psychology and child psychiatric services, the new strategy would allow assessments of children to be done within the resources of the centres.
The board hopes that by January 2002 only children above the age of 12 will be in residential care, except in special cases such as a need to keep siblings together.
By March of next year, the board aims to have conducted an audit of refurbishment requirements for children's homes.
The Department of Health has said money will be available for refurbishment. Mr Harrison estimated the cost could come to £1 million.
By March, a health and safety review will have been completed, as will an audit of the numbers of children and the number and size of rooms. Meanwhile, an animated advertisement aimed at highlighting awareness of the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child had its first airing on television yesterday.
The 40-second commercial, launched by the Children's Rights Alliance and funded by the Department of Health and Children, features a child explaining the convention to her younger brother.